Hit was neuer herd, as I hope, sith heuyn was o loft,
Line 1100
In any coste where ye come but ye were clene victorius,
And happet the herre hond to haue at þe last.
Lamydon, þat is lord, has vs ledde hedur,
ffor to wreke vs of wrathe, & þe wegh harme:
Line 1104
Þat is the cause of the course þat we come hidur.
And syn our goddes haue vs graunt þe ground for to haue,
Hit is spede-full to speike of our spede fur,
And of gouernaunce graithe at our gret nede,
Line 1108
ffor to fillyn our fare & our fos harme;
Hald all our hestes, harmles our-seluyn;
The tresour to take þat to Troy longes,
Þat us abides in the burgh & we þe better haue.
Line 1112
Hit is knowen in cuntres & costis o fer,
Þat the tresour of Troy is of tyme olde,
Out of nowmber to nem & nedefull to vs;
Iff vs fallus in fight þe fairer at ende,
Line 1116
We shall haue riches full riffe & red gold ynogh
Our ffyne shippes to fille and our fraght make:
Now fraist we before how fairest wille be,
And speike for our spede while we space haue."
Line 1120
ERCULES.
Then Ercules the Avntrus onswarid Anon,—
"Sothely, Sir kyng, ye haue said well,
Wise wordes I-wis & of wit noble;
Iff it be worship & wit wisdom to shewe,
Line 1124
Hit [is] sothely more soueran to see it in werke.
I will say for myself, sauyng a bettur,
As me thinkes full throly with-outyn threp more.
Let us dres for our dede er þe day springe,
Line 1128
And thrugh lemys of light þe lond vs perseyue: [folio 20a]
Part we vs pertly þe pupull in two,
In the ton shall be Telamon, þat is a tore kyng,
